Getting Ditched: A Tribute to Childhood

During all of my growing up years our little community had open irrigation ditches running through town. Living on main street I didn't have one running right in my front yard, but my lucky friends Ella and Kelly did. Now when I say irrigation ditches, I mean knee-deep trenches simply cut into the earth through which water from the canal flowed all summer long. The adults used it to water lawns, backyard pastures, and the giant-sized gardens most families grew, but we kids merely spent hours playing in that cool, muddy water. Inner city kids had the spray of fire hydrants; suburban kids had a pool; Cowley kids had ditches.

Some of my happiest memories were made there. I remember playing house, each of us getting our own little section of the ditch where we created sitting areas and "cupboards" in the muddy banks; I remember one day when Kelly's out-of-town cousin was being a particular pain and we threw her in the ditch causing her to run home crying. We probably should have felt badly, but the reigning attitude was that she had it coming. I also remember my mom making cucumber boats which we raced from one end of the ditch to the other. I imagine all Cowley kids had such happy memories. Check out my neice Shana's comments from yesterday as proof.

The ditches are long gone now, replaced by progress I suppose, but I can't help but feel a little sorry for the Cowley kids of today. What are they going to do all summer long?

As a tribute to my childhood, my children and I are making cucumber boats today. I think I even thought of the perfect place to race them: Our local library has a nutty water feature that resembles a long ditch. And hey, if we get arrested my children may have some interesting childhood memories of their own.